Systems, methods, and devices for electronic spectrum management

Abstract

Devices and methods enable optimizing a signal of interest based on identifying and analyzing the signal of interest based on radio frequency energy measurements. Signal data is compared with stored data to identify the signal of interest. Signal degradation data is calculated based on noise figure parameters, hardware parameters and environment parameters. The signal of interest is optimized based on the signal degradation data. Terrain data is also operable to be used for optimizing the signal of interest.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A spectrum analysis and management system, comprising:
 a radio frequency (RF) receiver; and 
 at least one processor operable to receive data from the RF receiver; 
 wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to determine a geographic location of at least one signal of interest based on received location input data associated with RF measurements; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to convert the RF measurements into spectral representation data; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to analyze the spectral representation data to identify the at least one signal of interest and determine at least one signal parameter of the at least one signal of interest; 
 wherein the RF measurements include power level measurements; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to detect the at least one signal of interest based on matched positive and negative gradients; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to average a spectral sweep, remove areas identified by the matched positive and negative gradients, and connect points between removed areas to determine a baseline; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to smooth the spectral sweep with a correction vector to create a smoothed spectral sweep; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to use a calibration vector to de-bias raw signal data; 
 wherein the calibration vector is calculated based on an average of the smoothed spectral sweep, excluding the areas identified by the matched positive and negative gradients; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to process signal data using compressed data for deltas from the baseline for signal identification; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to calculate and store signal degradation data in the memory for the at least one signal of interest; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to smooth the spectral sweep based on a first smoothing filter and a second smoothing filter that determine an average of the power level measurements over time; 
 wherein the second smoothing filter is performed only on frequencies outside a frequency range of the at least one signal of interest; and 
 wherein the memory includes environment parameters and measured terrain data for use in calculating the signal degradation data for identifying the at least one signal of interest. 
 
     
     
       2. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory includes hardware parameters for use in calculating the signal degradation data for identifying the at least one signal of interest. 
     
     
       3. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 2 , wherein the hardware parameters include antenna position, antenna type, orientation, azimuth, gain, and/or equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) for a transmitter associated with the at least one signal of interest. 
     
     
       4. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to determine that one or more of the at least one signal of interest violates a channel plan by detecting one or more of the at least one signal of interest and detecting an anomalous change in signal power or bandwidth of the one or more of the at least one signal of interest. 
     
     
       5. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 1 , further comprising a display for displaying information for at least one signal of interest, operable to receive data from the at least one processor, and wherein the display is operable to provide a visual representation of the at least one signal of interest and an identification of the at least one signal of interest. 
     
     
       6. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to calculate a first derivative of the power level measurements and a second derivative of the power level measurements. 
     
     
       7. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 1 , wherein a signal power threshold and a frequency range for the at least one signal of interest are user-selectable via a device interface. 
     
     
       8. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to provide signal optimization parameters. 
     
     
       9. A spectrum analysis and management system, comprising:
 a radio frequency (RF) receiver; and 
 at least one processor operable to receive data from the RF receiver; 
 wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to determine a geographic location of at least one signal of interest based on received location input data associated with RF measurements; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to convert the RF measurements into spectral representation data; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to analyze the spectral representation data to identify the at least one signal of interest and determine at least one signal parameter of the at least one signal of interest; 
 wherein the RF measurements include power level measurements; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to detect the at least one signal of interest based on matched positive and negative gradients; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to average a spectral sweep, remove areas identified by the matched positive and negative gradients, and connect points between removed areas to determine a baseline; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to smooth the spectral sweep with a correction vector to create a smoothed spectral sweep; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to use a calibration vector to de-bias raw signal data; 
 wherein the calibration vector is calculated based on an average of the smoothed spectral sweep, excluding the areas identified by the matched positive and negative gradients; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to process signal data using compressed data for deltas from the baseline for signal identification; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to calculate and store signal degradation data in the memory for the at least one signal of interest; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to smooth the spectral sweep based on a first smoothing filter and a second smoothing filter; 
 wherein the second smoothing filter is performed only on frequencies outside a frequency range of the at least one signal of interest; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to calculate a first derivative of the power level measurements and a second derivative of the power level measurements; and 
 wherein the memory includes measured terrain data for use in calculating the signal degradation data for identifying the at least one signal of interest. 
 
     
     
       10. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 9 , wherein the memory includes hardware parameters for use in calculating the signal degradation data for identifying the at least one signal of interest. 
     
     
       11. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 9 , further comprising a display for displaying information for at least one signal of interest, operable to receive data from the at least one processor, and wherein the display is operable to provide a visual representation of the at least one signal of interest and an identification of the at least one signal of interest. 
     
     
       12. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to identify the at least one signal of interest for the received location input data and RF measurements based upon whether the at least one signal parameter of the at least one signal of interest matches any signal parameters in signal characteristic listing data in the memory. 
     
     
       13. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 9 , wherein a signal power threshold and a frequency range for the at least one signal of interest are user-selectable via a device interface. 
     
     
       14. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to provide signal optimization parameters. 
     
     
       15. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 9 , wherein the first smoothing filter and the second smoothing filter are used to create the calibration vector. 
     
     
       16. A spectrum analysis and management system, comprising:
 a radio frequency (RF) receiver; and 
 at least one processor operable to receive data from the RF receiver; 
 wherein the at least one processor is coupled to a memory; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to convert the RF measurements into spectral representation data; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to analyze the spectral representation data to identify at least one signal of interest and determine at least one signal parameter of the at least one signal of interest; 
 wherein the RF measurements include power level measurements; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to detect the at least one signal of interest based on matched positive and negative gradients; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to average a spectral sweep, remove areas identified by the matched positive and negative gradients, and connect points between removed areas to determine a baseline; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to smooth the spectral sweep with a correction vector to create a smoothed spectral sweep; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to use a calibration vector to de-bias raw signal data; 
 wherein the calibration vector is calculated based on an average of the smoothed spectral sweep, excluding the areas identified by the matched positive and negative gradients; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to process signal data using compressed data for deltas from the baseline for signal identification; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to calculate and store signal degradation data in the memory for the at least one signal of interest; 
 wherein the memory includes environment parameters for use in calculating the signal degradation data for identifying the at least one signal of interest; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to smooth the spectral sweep based on a first smoothing filter and a second smoothing filter; 
 wherein the second smoothing filter is performed only on frequencies outside a frequency range of the at least one signal of interest; 
 wherein the at least one processor is operable to calculate a first derivative of the power level measurements and a second derivative of the power level measurements; and 
 wherein the memory includes measured terrain data for use in calculating the signal degradation data for identifying the at least one signal of interest. 
 
     
     
       17. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 16 , wherein the memory includes hardware parameters for use in calculating the signal degradation data for identifying the at least one signal of interest. 
     
     
       18. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 16 , further comprising a display for displaying information for at least one signal of interest, operable to receive data from the at least one processor, and wherein the display is operable to provide a visual representation of the at least one signal of interest and an identification of the at least one signal of interest. 
     
     
       19. The spectrum analysis and management system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is operable to classify the at least one signal of interest in near real time or in real time.